WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies enters into force; strong support for multilateralism — MercoPress

WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies enters into force; strong support for multilateralism

Monday, September 15th 2025 – 17:57 UTC

The agreement prohibits government support to illegal fishing activities and over-exploitation of stocks, contributing to the protection of marine life.

At a special General Council meeting on 15 September, WTO members celebrated the entry into force of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, which commits members to curbing billions of dollars in annual spending on the most harmful subsidies that contribute to the depletion of marine fish stocks.

Hailing the Agreement as a “landmark for global trade governance”, Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala thanked WTO members for their commitment to protecting the livelihoods of fishing communities around the world. “This Agreement demonstrates how you can put trade in the service of both people and planet,” she said.

The Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies is the WTO’s first multilateral agreement with environmental sustainability at its core. It prohibits government support to illegal fishing activities and overexploitation of stocks, contributing to the protection of marine life.

At the meeting, Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala received the instruments of acceptance of the Agreement from Brazil, Kenya, and Viet Nam and Tonga, bringing the total number of acceptances over the threshold of two-thirds of WTO members needed for the Agreement to enter into force.

In her address to the WTO membership, Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said: “At a time when the international trading system faces profound challenges, the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies sends a powerful signal that WTO members can work together in a spirit of cooperation and shared responsibility to deliver solutions to global challenges. The entry into force of this Agreement stands as a reminder that many of the biggest challenges we face are more effectively addressed at the multilateral level. People and nations need a multilateralism that delivers – which is why today is so reassuring.”

DG Okonjo-Iweala signed the official depositary notification of the Agreement’s entry into force and handed it to General Council Chair Ambassador Saqer Abdullah Almoqbel of Saudi Arabia, marking the official integration of the Agreement into the WTO legal framework.

Ambassador Almoqbel said: “This Agreement is a testament to our shared vision for sustainable global fisheries. Acceptance of the Protocol has demanded not just the engagement of our Ambassadors and delegates here in Geneva. It has also involved genuine political will and careful coordination in capitals. It is thanks to our collective resolve and commitment that we witness its entry into force today.”

The GC chair also announced that Mali and Oman have ratified the Agreement and that they will be depositing their instruments of acceptance ”in the very near future.“  

Members hailed the Agreement as a major milestone for the WTO, emphasizing that it confirms their commitment to the multilateral trading system and to a more sustainable planet. They also pledged to start implementing the Agreement, underscoring the key role it will play in restoring fish stocks, protecting the livelihoods of fishing communities and promoting food security.

By establishing rules that prohibit the worst forms of harmful fisheries subsidies, the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies will help to protect the world’s fish stocks and the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of peoples who depend on fisheries for food, income and employment.

In 2021, 35.5% of global fish stocks were overfished compared with 10% in 1974. It is estimated that subsidies to marine fishing activities total USD 35 billion per year globally. Of this amount, around USD 22 billion are considered to be harmful, contributing to the depletion of marine stocks.

”I strongly encourage all remaining members to complete their acceptances without delay“, DG Okonjo-Iweala said. ”One of my key aspirations is to see the Agreement ratified by all members by the 14th Ministerial Conference [scheduled for March 2026], where we will have the opportunity to celebrate this collective achievement together,” she added. (WTO)

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